Duke's restaurant in Malibu survives fire but is now a muddy mess
Duke's, the iconic seaside restaurant in Malibu, was one of the few buildings along the city's storied stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway that came through January's Palisades fire still standing.
Its managers had almost finished cleaning the damage left by smoke and were preparing to reopen when Thursday's heavy rain triggered mudslides on the scorched hillsides nearby.
Las Flores Canyon Road turned into a river of mud flowing across PCH and into Duke's parking lot.
Now it will be months before the restaurant can reopen, manager Jimmy Chaves told the Malibu Times, adding to the economic woes of the restaurant's 130 employees, six of whom lost their homes in the fire.
The mudslide also closed the portion of PCH in front of the restaurant, although one lane has since been opened to emergency and cleanup crews.
The restaurant, which has been a favorite watering hole for tourists and locals for decades, is named in honor of Hawaiian surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku.
Kathy Kohner Zuckerman, who inspired the 1959 film "Gidget," about carefree surfers frolicking in an idyllic Southern California paradise, still works at Duke's as an 'Ambassador of Aloha,' according to the restaurant's website.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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San Francisco Chronicle
14 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
When Don Nelson collects Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, he'll throw shade at Doncic trade
Don Nelson never coached by the book, maybe because he never read the book, having had no intention of coaching in the first place. So the man honored Sunday at the Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals game in Oklahoma City with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award had to write his own virtual book on coaching. Here is a snippet, which might bring back fond memories for long-time fans of the Golden State Warriors. It takes place in early 2007 at Smitty's, an Oakland dive bar near Lake Merritt. Nelson, coach of the Warriors, arrives with two of his players, Stephen (Stack Jack) Jackson and Baron (Boom Dizzle) Davis. The Warriors hired Nelson that season, an eyebrow-raising move because he was 66 and had been out of coaching a year, seemingly retired. This was his second go-round with the Warriors, having coached them for seven seasons, starting in '88. The Warriors had just traded for Jackson, who came with baggage. The previous season, while on probation for an assault-and-battery charge, Jackson got into a beef at a strip club and fired several shots from his handgun. Davis had a rep for not getting along with coaches, including the previous Warriors coach, Mike Montgomery. At Smitty's, Nellie, Stack Jack and Boom Dizzle played shuffleboard, drank scotch and talked basketball for a couple hours. Finally, Nelson told his two players, 'You guys are going to be my captains. You run this team, and we're going to have fun.' And so it was. The Warriors scrapped and swashbuckled their way into the playoffs and pulled off the 'We Believe' miracle, a No. 8 seed defeating the No. 1 seed Dallas Mavericks. Yes, Nelson had a style. Still does. 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' Nelson survived the factory, and after Iowa he went on to a 12-year NBA career, earning five rings with the Boston Celtics. He played one season under coach Red Auerbach, before Auerbach moved to the front office. Nelson made it a routine on game days to arrive at the arena several hours early and drop by Auerbach's office. 'I would sit there and talk basketball with him,' Nelson said, 'and I just learned so much from him. That's how I really got deep into the game. Things like how to run a team, how to get your team ready, get after guys at halftime.' That reminded Nelson of a story. 'One game we were down by about 15 at halftime. Red got on my old friend, Tom (Satch) Sanders. He said, 'Goddammit, Satch, you're not playing worth a s—t. If you don't get going, we're going to lose this game.' Satch says, 'Coach, I haven't been in the game yet.' ' After retiring, Nelson needed a job, so he decided to become an NBA ref. 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Nelson said his outfit for the Sunday ceremony would include special shoes, a tribute to Luka Doncic. 'I'm wearing a pair of Luka's shoes,' Nelson said. 'He's my dear friend, this is in protest of the trade (the Mavericks traded Doncic to the Lakers in midseason). I get 15 seconds on national TV. I don't have to say anything. Look for those shoes, goddammit.'
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Rad Poster Art For G.I. JOE: THE MOVIE Created By Artist Alex Arizmendi — GeekTyrant
Check out this fun poster art for the classic 1987 animated film G.I. Joe: The Movie , which comes from artist Alex Arizmendi. This is a private comission, so unfortunatly you can't buy it, but I had to share it because I love this freakin' movie! G.I. Joe: The Movie expands on the lore of the G.I. Joe universe, diving headfirst into science fiction and ancient evil. The story follows the elite military team G.I. Joe as they face a new threat: Cobra-La, a hidden ancient civilization that predates humanity and secretly controls Cobra Command. When Cobra-La's leader Golobulus plans to wipe out humanity using mutative spores, the Joes must race against time to stop the global catastrophe. The film was originally intended for a theatrical release but ended up going direct-to-video and airing on television due to production delays and the box office failure of other animated films like Transformers: The Movie . Still, G.I. Joe: The Movie is remembered for its ambitious expansion of the franchise's mythology, the darker tone compared to the series, and its infamous scene where Duke is mortally wounded, only for a last-minute voiceover to declare he miraculously fell into a coma instead of dying. softening the blow for young fans. Despite its tonal swings and mixed reception, it remains a cult favorite for fans of the franchise.
